Infrastructure required for new medical colleges will be set up on railway land in Kharagpur, Guwahati, Chennai, Secundarabad, and Lucknow on public-private partnership basis.

New Delhi: The Union Railway Ministry will set up five medical colleges across the country on public-private partnership (PPP) basis.

The colleges would be set up on the Railway land and for this it has invited a global expression of interest (EoI).

The medical colleges will come up at Kharagpur, Guwahati, Chennai, Secundarabad, and Lucknow.

“Railways plans to partner with both Indian as well as overseas institutions for establishing and running medical colleges in railway premises on PPP model. Since the railway land/hospitals are mostly in the heart of the city, it makes a good option for those willing to invest,” a Railway Ministry official said.

The private partner will have to build operate and maintain the medical college, hostel and other infrastructure required on the railway land, an official circular said.

Private partner will have to substantiate the shortfalls as per the Medical Council of India (MCI) norms in the services, including bed, it added.

It further said the Railway Ministry will commit a 340-bed hospital in Kharagpur, a 317-bed hospital in Guwahati, 500 beds in Chennai, 300 beds in Secunderabad, and 275 beds in Lucknow.

A share of seats will be reserved for wards of railways employees, the circular said.